Ralph Albin Erickson (September 18, 1924 – November 28, 2006) was an American architect who also served Florida as a politician. Erickson was a Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives.[2][3]

Ralph A. Erickson
Erickson in 1961
Member of the
Florida House of Representatives
from Sarasota County
In office
1961–1962
Serving with G. M. Nelson
Preceded byWilliam S. Boylston
George E. Youngberg Sr.
Succeeded byJohn W. Hasson
Russell C. Jordan Jr.
Personal details
Born
Ralph Albin Erickson

(1924-09-18)September 18, 1924
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedNovember 28, 2006(2006-11-28) (aged 82)
Political partyRepublican
SpouseIrene Erickson[1]
Children5[1]
Alma materIllinois Institute of Technology
University of Florida
Military service
Branch/service United States Marine Corps
Battles/warsWorld War II

Erickson was born on September 18, 1924, in Chicago to Swedish immigrants.[4]

Erickson served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II.[1] He attended the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Florida.[1] He got into the Fulbright program to learn about architecture in 1953 in Finland.[1] He was a musician and had a passion in fishing.[1]

In 1961, Erickson was elected to the Florida House of Representatives alongside G. M. Nelson, succeeding William S. Boylston and George E. Youngberg Sr.[2] In 1962, he and Nelson were succeeded by John W. Hasson and Russell C. Jordan Jr.[2] Erickson was involved in assisting with minority voter registration in Florida.[4]

After leaving Sarasota in the late 1960s, Erickson lived in Washington, D.C., and served briefly as the chief architect of the Panama Canal Co. He also was chosen to design the Hatserim Israeli Air Force Base after Israel ceded land and a military base to Egypt as part of the Camp David Accords. Middle East peace.[1]

Erickson (right) with James N. Beck in 1961

Erickson died on November 28, 2006, at the age of 82.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Ralph Erickson Obituary (1924–2006)". The Palm Beach Post. December 1, 2006. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Ward, Robert (August 3, 2011). "Membership of the Florida House of Representatives by County 1845–2012" (PDF). Florida House of Representatives. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 16, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022 – via Wayback Machine.
  3. ^ "The People of Lawmaking Florida 1822 – 2019", Florida Legislature, February 2019
  4. ^ a b ZALOUDEK, MARK. "Architect rose to prominence on world stage". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved November 25, 2023.